Forgotten Memories
by iwannabeloric
Summary: Thanks to Numbers One, Two and Three, Number Eight has been given another chance at life...but with a price. Post-Fall of Five.
1. Chapter 1

**Thanks to Numbers One, Two and Three, Number Eight has been given a second chance at life…but with a price. He won't remember anything except his goal to restore his home planet Lorien…**

_Eight's POV _

If there's anyone else here, they're doing a good job hiding, because I can't see a single person. Maybe there is no-one else here. Maybe it's just me, all alone in this cold dark place. I shiver as something cold runs down my spine. I feel my back, but it's completely dry. It's just fear.

Suddenly everything brightens and warms up. Three people walk towards me: two girls and one boy. I notice there are identical scars on their ankles. Immediately I know who they are. The first three of the Lorien Garde. The tallest girl has no scars on her ankle, so she must be Number One. Number Two must be the younger girl because she has one scar on her right ankle. That leaves the boy: Number Three.

"Number Four?" Two inquires, tilting her head to the side slightly.

I shake my head. "I'm Eight."

"Eight," Three mutters. "So the charm is broken then."

"Where were the others when you last saw them?" One asks, her voice a little sour for some reason.

"The Everglades," I reply. "Five, he betrayed us. He…he was the one who killed me, not the Mogs."

"Wait," Three says, his eyes widening. "Number Five betrayed us? How could he betray his own kind? He was supposed to help restore Lorien. That's why the Elders chose him."

"Well, it's a bit too late for that, isn't it?" I said, a little too harshly. I pause and look down. "Sorry. I'm just furious at Five, not that I can do much now."

One, Two and Three exchange a look.

"If you really want to pay him back, there might be a way," Two says, looking back at me.

"Really?" I ask in disbelief. "How?"

"We can transport you back to the living," Three explains. "You can go help the others again."

I can't help feeling excited. I can go back. I can continue to help the others. I can go punch Five in the face. I can see Marina again. I quickly agreed, but One gives me a warning.

"When you go back, you won't remember a thing," her voice does not lose its sourness. I wonder why. It's like she's blaming me for something. "You won't remember anyone, not even that girl you love."

"You mean Marina?" I ask. "I…I won't remember her? But why? It's not fair."

"Life's not always fair," One says. "Everything comes with a price. So is it a deal then?"

Now I hesitate. I won't remember Marina if I go back. I won't remember any of the Garde. If I stay here, at least they won't leave my mind. I'll still remember them. But if I go back, I can help them again, even if I don't recognise them. All I'll be is a helping hand, but that's better than nothing. I agree with the bargain.

My vision starts to blur. One, Two and Three disappear from sight and my surroundings darken. When I again open my eyes, I'm somewhere else. I'm lying on my back and groaning.

And that's when I hear a scream.

**This is post-Fall Of Five. Yes, there will be a bit of romance, don't worry. As for Eight and his missing memory…you'll just have to keep reading. I'll try to update as often as possible, but there might be a delay between the first few chapters because of school work.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Marina's POV**

It can't be him. It can't be Eight. He's dead. I saw him die with my very own eyes. I felt the pain of his number being burnt into my skin. He's dead. He's not coming back. He won't ever be coming back. I'm just fooling myself.

Yet this boy looks exactly like him. Hair, eyes, skin. Everything was the same. But how could that be? How could he be alive, and lying only a metre away from me?

"Is that…Eight?" Six asks, coming to stand next to me. "I thought he died in the Everglades. I _saw _him die in the Everglades."

"So did I," I say, equally confused. At least Six can see him too, which means I'm not going crazy and hallucinating. Instinctively, I glance at my ankle. There were the three Lorien symbols of One, Two and Three. But there is no sign of the eighth symbol. There is no scar with the Loric symbol for Eight. It's enough to confirm my suspicions. This _is _Number Eight.

Suddenly I don't care how he got here. I don't care about anything except he's alive. Before Six can stop me, I make a beeline for him and kneel down. Tears are running down my face. Tears of relief, not fear or sadness.

"Eight! Eight, it's me!" I exclaim, not able to hold down my excitement.

Eight sits up and stares straight at me. He frowns at me, like he's trying to figure out who I am. I laugh and grin widely.

"Don't you remember me, Eight?" I ask jokingly.

Eight says nothing. He just continues to gaze at me. Finally he speaks. "Do I know you?"

I search his face for any kind of sign he is pulling my leg. He always does that. That's just the way Eight is. However, I sense no humour from him. He's serious. And when a normally easy-going always-ready-for-a-laugh guy is serious, it's never a good sign. My grin fades to a confused expression.

"Don't you remember me?" I ask. It's the same question as before, but this time I am not joking. I am serious.

Eight squints at me, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. I get the sense he's trying to figure out who I am. My heart sinks as reality strikes me. He doesn't know me. He doesn't remember me. To him, I must just be another ordinary girl. Tears spring into my eyes and I choke back a sob.

"Eight," I whisper. "It's me, Marina. I…I love you."

**Eight's POV**

Whoa! What the heck?! A girl I don't even know says she loves me. I mean, is it just me, or is that really creepy? Sure, she is kinda cute with her long dark hair and warm brown eyes, but I don't know her. I haven't even seen her before now. Why would she confess she loves me? Why does she act like I should know her? How high are her expectations?

Her eyes glisten with unfallen tears, like she's struggling to hold them back. I admit she looks more than just cute. She looks beautiful. I find myself wishing I knew her before now. Her face is so sad that I feel sorry for her.

Another girl comes over and kneels down next to the girl named Marina. She's also quite pretty with jet-black hair and striking yet feisty blue eyes. She stares at me and I get the feeling she wants me to know her too. I do try, racking my brains to find anything that connects with any of these two girls, but I find nothing.

Suddenly I snap my head around at the sound of a twig. Surprised, Marina and the other girl follow my gaze. Out of the thick mass of green leaves, a squad of Mogadorians emerge and charge straight at us. I spring to my feet instantly and poise myself, ready to fight. Marina and the girl jump up too. I turn to them.

"Go, now," I order them. "I'll hold them off."

The other girl looks at me curiously. Marina, however, looks around frantically.

"Where's Nine?" she asks, panicking.

I have no idea who she's talking about, but I think it's a safe bet he/she is a friend. "Find your friend and get out of here," I say urgently. "Go."

The girl looks like she's about to argue, but I glare at her, challenging her, and she eventually gives in. She looks at Marina. "Come on," she says. "Nine's probably too impatient to wait for us. You know how he is sometimes." She sprints off, but Marina doesn't follow her.

"Marina, go," I say, getting frustrated.

"I'm not leaving you," she says, coming to stand beside me. "I lost you once. I won't lose you again."

I can't help sighing exasperatedly. How dense is she? There is a whole race of Mogadorians coming right at us and she insists on staying? How is she going to fight them? She's going to die.

Using my telekinesis, I lift the front four Mogs into the air and fling them into a nearby lake. I really hope they can't swim. Pushing Marina behind me, I transform into a half lion half bear. I charge at the oncoming Mogs and sink my new set of sharp teeth into their flesh, turning them into nothing but piles of ash.

I quickly glance around and realise that Marina is still standing there. Now I'm really starting to get annoyed. What is she thinking? She's going to get herself killed. To my surprise, though, she's holding off well against the Mogs that I miss. Has someone been teaching her self-defence? Still in my beastly form, I teleport to her side. I change into a huge not-quite-a-bird creature, grab her arms with my claws and zoom up into the sky. Marina is screaming, mostly from shock and fear.

The Mogs fire their cannons at us and I fly around trying to dodge those lethal weapons. I must not die. I am the only hope for Lorien now. I cannot fail.

**John's POV**

"What the heck?" I exclaim, frowning at my ankle. "How on Lorien and Earth did that happen?"

"What?" Sarah asks, looking at me. In fact, everyone is staring at me, expecting something to happen, even that Mog kid, Adam.

"There are only three scars on my ankle," I say. "There were four when I last looked."

"Whose symbol is missing?" Sam asks, peering closely at my scars. Everyone knows what possible numbers could be missing: One, Two, Three and Eight. One of them is gone. I look more closely at my foot. I recognise all three of the symbols that remain. How can I forget them? I've had them all for at least a whole year. I've had one of them since I was nine even.

"Eight's missing," I say. "But I don't understand. How can it disappear? The scars are supposed to stay permanently."

"Do you think he could be alive?" Sarah asks hopefully. "Number Eight? I mean, his scar's not on your ankle anymore. Do you think it's possible he could've come back from the dead?"

"How can he?" I say, though there is some sense in the theory. A scar only appears on our ankles if a Garde is dead. The fact that Eight's symbol is no longer on my skin could mean he came back to life. But _how _can he do that? It's impossible, even for Loric.

"Where do you think he'd be now?" Sam asks. "Assuming he's alive of course."

"The most logical place would be where he died," Adam says. "The Everglades."

**Hey guys! Sorry if I've kept you waiting, but here's the next chapter. Hope you like it and a few reviews would be nice. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Marina's POV**

The sky is pitch-black. There is no moon out. I'm trying to sleep. I'm tossing and turning on the hard brown earth. My body is exhausted, but my mind is racing. I'm so confused. Eight is here, with us. Somehow he has come back from the dead. Yet, in a way, this isn't Eight either. He doesn't remember us, doesn't remember what we've all been through together. To him, we're all just normal teenage _humans. _Where is that fun eager ready-to-laugh guy I love so much? What has happened to him?

From the corner of my eye, I see him. He's sitting in a meditative position. I've never seen him sit like that since, well, I first met him in India, just a few weeks after Adelina died and when Crayton was still alive. Tears come to my eyes when I think of them. I wonder…what would they make of Eight's amnesia? What would they do? I miss them a lot, especially Adelina. She was _my _Cepan, and although she never really taught me anything about my Legacies or how to fight, I still love her.

Finally, I give up on trying to get some sleep and move over to where Eight is sitting. He looks at me, smiling, but with no recognition. It makes me feel sad. Whoever did this to him, I'm going to kill them myself.

"Hey, Marina," he says. "You know you fight very well for a human."

Now I'm really on the verge of crying. _I'm not a human, Eight. I'm Loric like you. _A few tears roll down my cheeks, but I brush them away.

"Who did this to you?" I ask, trying desperately not to cry. "Who's taken your memories?"

Eight frowns at me. "What are you talking about? No-one's stolen my memories. I remember everything."

"Then why do you not remember me?" I say. "Why do you not remember _us_? You must at least remember your own kind."

Eight's face is screwed up in concentration, trying to recall. "I do remember some other kids, all very young." I widen my eyes hopefully. He can remember. "They're all dead now, though. I'm the only one left." My head droops, and I sigh sadly. So he thinks I'm dead. He believes everyone else is dead. I look at him, tears now rolling down my face freely. I don't even make any attempt to wipe them away.

"You're not alone, Eight," I tell him. "I'm Number Seven. That's Six and Nine sleeping over there, and Four and Five are still alive. Even Ella is still alive."

Eight looks at me, studying me. As if to prove my point, I lift up the bottom of my faded jeans to show him my scars of One, Two and Three. Eight's eyes widen. He lifts the bottom of his own jeans and compares our identical scars. He looks at me more closely and I can tell something is clicking in his mind.

"You're Number Seven?" he asks. I nod and he shakes his head disbelievingly. Suddenly he breaks into a smile and hugs me tightly. "I thought…I thought you were dead."

I recover from my shock and hug him back, smiling. "I've never been dead." I can't hold in my excitement. Eight might not remember me as Marina, but he still remembers me as Seven. That means there's still hope. Hope that he might one day get all his memories back. Hope that he might one day remember me not just as a number, but someone who loves him.

**Eight's POV**

I can't believe it. All these years of thinking I was alone, of thinking the other Garde were gone. I was wrong. I was wrong from the very start. Marina has just shown me proof. She has the same scars as me; the scars that say only three members are dead. The rest, the other six, are still alive. But something doesn't make any sense.

"Who's Ella?" I ask.

"She's another member of the Garde," Marina explains. "She came to Earth on a second ship. At first we thought she was Number Ten, but…" she trails off, tears filling her eyes. "She…she's different."

"How so?" I ask, frowning. "You're not really making much sense. How can she be different?"

Marina doesn't answer for a long while. She stares up at the sky, a look of longing crossing her features. "Ella's Cepan, Crayton, wrote a letter and gave it to Ella just before he died. She read it only a few weeks ago and…" she takes a deep breath. "…well…long story short, we found out she wasn't actually meant to be one of us."

I'm silent for a while, taking all this in. All this is completely new to me. Reynolds never mentioned anything about a second ship to me. Suddenly anger starts to build up in me. All these years of not knowing anything, not knowing the other Garde were alive. While all along they'd been together, planning and fighting the Mogs without me.

"I bet Four and Five know this too, don't they?" I say in a cold hard voice.

"Yes," Marina says, surprised by my change in tone.

"And you all thought it was all right to leave me out of it, didn't you?" I say, glaring at her.

"What? No," Marina says. "Eight, you were there too. You just don't remember it because your memories are gone…"

"Stop saying that!" I yell, jumping to my feet. "My memories are not gone! I'm perfectly fine! You're just making all this stuff up to try and trick me! How do I know you're not a Mog in disguise anyway?!"

"Eight," tears are rapidly falling down Marina's face. "Eight, I'm not lying. I'm not a Mog in disguise. This is really me, and everything I just said is true. You just don't remember because you…" before she can finish, I use my telekinesis and lift her into the air.

She screams in shock. I bring her over to the cliff edge and let her dangle there for a bit. She's really crying now, pleading with me, but I will hear none of it. She's a Mog. She's a Mog in disguise.

"Marina!" someone shouts from behind me. It's Six. Both she and Nine are up, staring horror at the scene. "Eight, what on Earth are you doing?"

"She's a Mog in disguise," I say coldly.

"What?" Nine yells at me. "Have you lost your freaking mind? She's one of us. She's Number Seven. She's your _girlfriend_."

"She's not my girlfriend," I growl. "She's a Mog."

And then I let go.

**John's POV**

The outside of the building really fooled us. My first impression was that this was a nice-looking hotel, not quite five-star, but relaxing. Everyone agreed to stay there for the night and try to locate the others. When we walk in, however, I find myself holding my breath in disgust. The place is an absolute wreck. The curtains were torn; the floor was covered with dried stains and it and it smelt of stale urine and some other revolting gas.

Next to me, Sam gags and covers his nose, making no effort to hide his disgust. Sarah, too, grimaces. I grit my teeth, trying to hide the fact that I hate this place so as not to hurt the owner's feelings. As I walk through the hideous hotel, I can't help but think that this is what Henri would call an ideal hiding place. Deserted, smelly and just horrible, these were the criteria Henri was looking for when we were still on the run.

It makes me sad just to think of him. Henri, my Cepan, my friend…my dad. He's done so much for me, to keep me alive. The least I could do for him was to win this war and get back to Lorien. I still have the small can with his ashes in it. The first thing I'm going to do when we return home is to find a nice place to bury the can and make a memorial. If anyone deserves that, it's Henri.

Malcolm walks up to the scratched and stained wooden counter and dings the bell. He waits patiently, but there's no answer. He dings again. Still nothing. Finally, after the third ring and still no answer, he turns back to us.

"Looks like it's free accommodation for everyone." His attempt at a joke to lighten the mood of the group. I appreciate his efforts, but I really don't feel like laughing right now. We're already in a bad position. Eight's dead (although Sarah insists he could've come back to life), we've lost contact with Marina, Six and Nine, and to top it all off, Five has betrayed us. The only consolation, if there even is any, is that we've got our own Mog ally to help us and it's because of him that we know where the Mog base is.

Malcolm leads us to a dingy little room. It's small, too small for five people, but at least it's relatively hospitable. It's a lot tidier than the lobby and it doesn't smell as bad. Sam plonks straight onto a bed and sighs happily.

"Dibs this bed," he says, spreading his whole body across the entire area of the bed.

"We're going to have to share, Sam," Malcolm says. "There won't be enough room otherwise, and one person has to sleep on the floor."

"I will," Adam volunteers straight away. I get the feeling he's still feeling a little awkward with his family's enemies. In a way, I feel sorry for the guy. How is he taking the fact that would probably kill him on sight and with no hesitation? How is he living with the fact that in the eyes of the Mogs, he is labelled a traitor?

But part of me still distrusts him. What if he was a spy, pretending to be on our side? What if he could secretly be giving Intel on our current location behind our backs?

I shake my head and get into the other bed with Sarah. Just her presence next to me is enough to calm me down. Smiling, I drift off to sleep.

**Hey guys! Thanks for the reviews. Yeah, I know Eight was a bit mean, but don't worry. Marina doesn't die. Hope you like it. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Marina**

By the time I come back to consciousness, it's around midday. I think back to the night before and tears form into my eyes. Eight. He thinks I'm a Mogadorian. He believes I'm a Mogadorian in disguise. I choke back a sob as I remember the old Eight. The Eight who could cheer everyone up simply with his mischievous playful smile. The Eight I could always trust with my life. The Eight I love. I realise that that Eight is gone. The Eight I know is gone, replaced with this new Eight who mistook me for a Mog and dropped me off a cliff. Now I have no idea where they are, or how to find them again. I have no telepathy legacy like Ella. How am I supposed to…?

_Ella? Ella, are you there? It's me, Marina._

I'm not sure if she heard me. Could she still be in a dream coma?

_Marina? Marina, where are you?_

My heart races and starts to pump excitedly. _Ella! _

_Where are you, Marina?_

_I'm not so sure, Ella. I'm in some kind of forest. I've lost contact with Six, Eight and Nine. Where are you?_

There's a long silence, and I'm wondering if Ella has heard my last words. I try to call her again, but it seems like she has lost contact. My heart begins to sink. I start to wonder if she really had answered to me, or if I was just so desperate I was hallucinating it.

_I'm sorry, Marina, _Ella's voice comes to me apologetically and tearfully. _I hope you'll forgive me._

Before I can even begin to wonder what she means, a whole army of Mogs appear out of the thicket of leaves and charges straight at me. My expression darkens. They are the ones to blame for taking everything away from us. They are the ones who turned Five against us. Before, when we were still on the ship, he had really been one of us. He had really believed we were the good guys. The Mogadorians took him away from us. They took away the real Five. No, they _destroyed _the real Five. He's gone. He just proved it himself by killing Eight.

Using my telekinesis, I push the first line of Mogadorians back a few metres into the trees, knocking over a few others along with them. The ground around me turns suddenly cold. I look down and realise that the ground around my feet is covered in blue ice. A sharp-pointed icicle appears in my right hand and I grip it tightly. I will it to get longer and thinner.

Once I'm satisfied, I use the icicle to fight off the Mogadorians. It reminds me of Nine and his pipe staff. I've seen him loads of times training and actually fighting with that weapon. Now I understand why he favours it so much. It's like an extension of myself.

I've never used a weapon like this before and back in Chicago when I watched Nine practicing with his staff, I thought it must be really tricky. It turned out to be as simple as counting to three. Within seconds I'm wielding it like a pro. Swinging it at the Mogs and turning them into ash, I feel strangely strong. It's like my new ice weapon is constantly flowing adrenaline into my body.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, the butt of one of the Mog blasters connects with the back of my skull and I fall to the ground and lose grip of my staff. I grunt and try to stand, but a foot plants itself on my back, forcing me to fall flat onto the ground. Two hands grab my arms tightly and pull me to my feet in a rough manner. They cuff my hands behind my back and throw a sack over my head so that I can't see a thing.

They make me walk for what seems like hours before I am jolted to a halt. They force me to my knees and rip off the sack. And then I see him towering over me, a malicious smile on his face.

**Eight**

"You idiot!" Nine yells at me. "What on Earth was that for?"

"She was a Mog pretending to be one of us," I say for what must be the thousandth time. I'm still convinced of that fact.

"She _is _one of us," Six says, glaring at me. I admit I'd rather have Nine yelling at me than Six talking in an even voice and fixing me with a death stare. If looks could kill, she'd be the last one standing on the planet. "You just don't remember. You're not always right, you know."

"Do you have any idea how long it took us to unite again after, what, _fifteen _years?" Nine too has stopped yelling, but his glare is worse than Six's. Never mind that she'd be the last one standing. I've found a new champion. "And she was our medic. She was your _girlfriend_."

"I don't believe you," I say. "She was never my girlfriend. I never met her until yesterday."

"Eight, what's happened to you?" Six asks. She's no longer glaring thank goodness and her eyes are full of sadness. "Why don't you remember us? Why don't you remember anything? Who did this to you?"

I suddenly realise that these were the exact questions Marina asked me before I dropped her off the cliff. I begin to have doubts of my theory that Marina is a disguised Mogadorian. But she just keeps pestering me so much that I had the feeling she was trying to get information out of me. Now, hearing Six ask the same questions, I'm starting to wonder if I really did lose my memory. Actually, come to think of it, Marina _did _look a little familiar when we first met yesterday. I feel as if I've seen her before. Maybe it was years ago…when we were still on the ship en route to Earth. But something's telling me I've seen her much more recently.

"I don't…I don't know," I say in response to Six's question. "I think I remember you from when we were still in the ship. But…nothing else comes to mind. We were on the same ship, right?"

Six nods, the anger fading from her eyes. "What _do _you remember?"

I frown, thinking for a while. "I remember the Mogadorians attacking Lorien, and us boarding a ship that would take us to Earth. There were nine of us, and a charm was placed upon us to protect us."

There was a long pause. Nine has also stopped scowling at me, replaced by a quizzical look. "If you remember us, why did you throw Marina off a cliff?"

I don't answer for a long time. The conversation from last night comes back to me. "She told me she was Number Seven," I say slowly. "But…I don't know. She was pestering me so much I thought she must be trying to get information out of me."

"She _is _Number Seven," Six says. "Marina is her human alias. And she wasn't pestering you. She was just desperate for you to remember her. She loves you."

All of a sudden I feel guilty. I shouldn't have thrown her off a cliff. I shouldn't have shouted at her. I should've listened to her. According to Six and Nine, she was being truthful all along.

"We have to find her," I tell them. "Before the Mogs do."

**John**

I'm not the first to wake up. Malcolm is already bent forward, studying a map of the local area, trying to find the quickest route to the Everglades. I look over his shoulder.

"Any ideas?" I ask.

Malcolm shakes his head. "I think we got the wrong map from the Information Centre," he says. "There's no mention of the Everglades here."

There's a few minutes silence as Malcolm continues to pore over the map. I wonder where the others are. I wonder how Marina's coping. She and Eight were close. If the vision I shared with Ella is correct, and Five really did betray us, the first thing I'm going to do when I next see him is kill him-_literally. _No, on second thoughts, I won't. I'll let Marina kill him, because most likely it was he who killed Eight. I just want my fair share of vengeance. But if Eight somehow _did _come back to life…

"Have you ever thought that Eight might not be at the Everglades anymore?" I ask. "I mean, if he is alive wouldn't he already have left there?"

"Maybe," Malcolm says, fingering his beard thoughtfully. "It's a good point. But what other leads do we have?"

I keep silent. He's right. We don't know anything other than Eight _was _at the Everglades. He may not be there anymore, but it's the best starting place for us. No, it's the only starting place.

"I could go down to the Information Centre to get another map," I suggest. "Or I could ask one of them how to get to the Everglades."

Malcolm is shaking his head before I even finish. "No, not by yourself. It's too dangerous. And people are bound to recognise you from the news and they might report you. No. We'll get Sarah and Adam to go later when they wake up. They haven't been on any news and they haven't got a bounty on their heads." His tone is a little sad, probably at the fact that his own son is considered a wanted fugitive.

I nod. "I'll try to communicate with Ella. Maybe she's out that dream coma."

Malcolm nods, but says nothing.

_Ella? Ella, are you there? _

At first I'm not sure she can hear me. What if she hasn't woken up yet?

_John? Is that you?_

_Ella! Are you okay? Where are you?_

_I was going to ask you the same thing, _her voice comes back to me.

_We're in an abandoned motel, trying to locate Eight. I think he's come back to life. Where are you?_

_John, you need to hurry. The Mogs, they've got Marina. I don't know what they're doing to her, but it can't be good._

The Mogs have got Marina? Anger courses through me. I'm willing to bet that this is all Five's fault. It's a safe bet it was he who killed Eight. And now he has Marina.

_Do you know where they're taking her?_

There's a long silence and I'm starting to wonder if she heard me. _Follow Adam to Washington. _

"Any luck?" Malcolm asks, breaking my concentration.

I take a deep breath and nod. "Ella says we need to follow Adam to Washington. The Mogs have got Marina and I think that's where she's being kept. She didn't tell me where Six and Nine are though. I don't think she even knows."

Malcolm nods and folds the map he was studying. "I guess that means we don't need this map anymore. We'll take the first available flight to Washington and Adam can lead us to the Mog base. Get the rest up pronto."

**Hey guys sorry it took so long to update. Had a lot of studying to do and homework…and the internet wasn't working. But here it is. Hope you enjoy!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Third Person POV**

Setrakus Ra paced around the small dimly lit room impatiently, waiting for his scouts to return with news of the Garde's whereabouts. Ella watched him from her dark little corner. She was curled into a tiny little ball and though it could not be seen, her eyes were red and puffy from crying. She felt like a traitor, giving away false information to the rest of the Garde: getting Marina captured, sending John to the Mogadorian HQ in Washington. She didn't want to do it, but Setrakus had forced her to. And when she still refused, he gave her a clear yet thick liquid and forced her to drink it. The liquid shut off her mind completely, making it easy for the Mog leader to control it.

Setrakus seemed to be reading her mind and he bared his teeth in what was evidently supposed to be a smile. "You're a brave girl, Ella," he said, "far braver than the rest of your kind. You will make a fine heiress."

Ella said nothing. She didn't trust herself to speak. She had no wish to be Setrakus Ra's queen, but what could she do? She hadn't developed enough Legacies to escape. All she had was telekinesis and telepathy…and there was no-one to help her. The Mogs would easily be able to outnumber her. She was getting better at controlling her telekinesis, but she couldn't yet lift up any heavy objects or hold anything for long periods of time without tiring. She envied the rest of the Garde. They seemed to be controlling their Legacies effortlessly and flawlessly. Of course, they had more practice than her, but she still couldn't help feeling just a little jealous.

The Mog leader seemed to be reading her mind again. "You despise them," he says. "I do not blame you. They're nothing but arrogant little show-offs, aren't they?"

"They're not show-offs," Ella blurted out, speaking for the first time in a week. "And they're not arrogant. They're my friends."

Setrakus raises an eyebrow. "Are they? Would you still call them friends if I told you they traded you for a human? Back at your Number Nine's penthouse, whilst you were still peacefully dreaming, our people attacked and you know what Number Four did? He left you. He chose a human over you. Do you call that a friend?"

Ella didn't know what to say. Had John really done that? Had he really just let the Mogs take her away while he saved a human? No, he can't have. He wouldn't do such a thing. He would've at least had a good reason. Setrakus was lying. He was just trying to turn her against the Garde, like what he had done to Five. Well, he was going to have to try harder than that.

All of a sudden she felt a tingly sensation behind her eyes. She didn't know what it was. She started rubbing her eyes, but the feeling refused to subside. In the end, she just decided to ignore it as best she could. She screwed her eyes shut and willed it to go away, which it did momentarily. Then it was back, this time worse than before. Her head began to throb painfully. It got to the point where she couldn't take it any longer. She screamed and a beam of red laser shot out of her eyes, barely missing Setrakus Ra.

Silence engulfed both occupants in the room. The Mog leader stared at Ella almost warily, like he was just the slightest bit afraid of her. Ella should've been glad about that. but she wasn't. the tingling behind her eyes was gone. The throbbing in her head had ceased. Yet she didn't feel any better. If anything, she felt worse. Lasers shot out of her own eyes. Was this a new Legacy she was developing? Part of her was thrilled at the thought. Finally, she actually had a fighting Legacy. She didn't have to just rely on her telekinesis to get her out of tough situations. But part of her was shaking with fear. Laser eyes were such a fierce and dangerous Legacy. She could imagine someone like Six or Nine developing such a Legacy. They were pretty much born to battle. But her? She was just a twelve-year old, barely able to fight and control her Legacies. As cool as it was, she hoped she would never have to use her laser eyes again.

A metal door opened and Number Five entered, with a dozen Mogadorian soldiers behind him. He smiled a greeting at Ella, who returned it with a hard glare. There was an eye patch on his right eye. Ella wished she knew who was responsible for taking his eye out, so that she could thank them personally. Five turned back to Setrakus and gave a brief bow before giving his report. As he spoke, anger surged through Ella. She felt the familiar tingling in her eyes, but she bit her lip and closed her eyes, trying to force down the fiery-red beams.

"Where is the prisoner?" Five demanded to the group of Mogs behind.

Ella opened her eyes to see a figure being dragged to the front. Their hands were cuffed behind their back and there was a sack over their head. Five shoved the prisoner to the ground at Setrakus' feet and lifted off the sack. Ella let out a small sob. It was Marina.

But she looked almost unrecognisable. Her long dark hair was in a tangled mess. Her face was severely battered, bruised and bleeding. But her eyes were the worst. Ella didn't know what had happened to the Marina she first met in Spain. The Marina who cared for her and showed her around the stone convent. The Marina who could calm people seemingly effortlessly with her kind nature.

But that Marina is gone, replaced with this new version with cold dark eyes and a hard expression. There was no sign of the loving kind-hearted Marina left. Setrakus Ra merely looked down at her and laughed. And that was when the room temperature dropped below zero.

**Eight**

All day I could not stop thinking about Marina and the guilt that's growing inside me. I had judged wrongly. I had thought she was one of them. I was so convinced she had just been trying to get information out of me. I was wrong. I was completely off track. She had been telling the truth. She had been trying to help me. And I had repaid her by dropping her off a cliff. Now we've lost her. We have no idea where she is. The only thing we know for sure is that she isn't dead. We would've had a new scar otherwise.

Ever since this morning, I've been trying and trying to think where I've seen her before. I know for sure we were on the same ship to Earth, but that's about it. Apparently we had been through a lot together. I'm trying to search my brain for any memory that might include her. That time in India. My Legacy to transform into anything had developed. My Cepan Reynolds was already dead, brutally murdered by the Mogadorians and betrayed by the woman we thought we could trust. I remember Commander Sharma and his soldiers, who had mistaken me for Vishnu. But that was all I could remember. Nothing about Marina or Six or Nine or any of the other Garde.

Six looks at me, her expression sympathetic. She's relaxed her muscles a lot and her eyes are a lot gentler than before. She looks so different when she's not angry. She looks so…soft. If I'm being completely honest, I prefer her aggressive appearance to her gentle kind one. At least when she's mad she looks ready to take on any amount of Mogadorians, which I appreciate.

"Don't stress over it too much, Eight," she says. "It'll come back in its own time."

"How can you be so sure?" I ask, unconvinced. "I dropped Marina off a cliff."

Six shrugs and I don't think she has a clear answer. "I just know."

She doesn't say anymore and her tone makes it clear she doesn't want to elaborate, so I keep quiet. But I keep trying anyway. There must be something. My body tingled slightly when I saw Marina yesterday. It's like my body can remember her, but my mind can't.

Nine suddenly stops walking and I almost bump into him.

"Whoa, dude," I say. "Give us a warning next time. I nearly bumped into you."

I notice Six grinning just slightly for some reason I do not know. I wish I could read her mind. She's one of those people who is always a mystery and likes to keep people guessing. Nine, on the other hand, looks deep in concentration. He has that look: closed eyes, head bowed, not moving a muscle. I shift from one foot to the other impatiently. What the heck is he concentrating on anyway? I wave a hand in front of his face. He lashes out and grabs my wrist, squeezing it tightly. Man, he's good.

I wince. I can feel my whole hand getting numb. Nine opens his eyes and looks at me, his expression murderous, with his dark eyes boring into me.

"Don't ever do that again, you understand?" he asks, his voice dangerously low. "Or next time I'll do worse than just squeezing your wrist."

I try not to look scared as I nod. "Sorry," I mutter. "I got impatient."

Nine lets go of my arm and turns to Six. "I've just talked to Ella."

Six perks up, her senses on high alert. "And? What did she say?"

Nine glares at me like he's blaming me for something. He turns back to Six, his expression grave and serious, but I notice he's not glaring at her like he did with me. "Marina's been caught. They're at the Mogadorian headquarters in Washington."

"What?!" Six cries. "Oh, the Mogs are so gonna pay."

I bite my lip. Now I know why Nine was glaring at me and not Six. He's blaming me for getting Marina captured because I dropped her off a cliff. He still hasn't forgiven me. I don't blame him. This was all my fault. If I hadn't dropped Marina off a cliff, if I hadn't gotten angry with her, if I had just _listened _to her, she might still be here with us. What were they doing to her now? Torturing her? Or simply leaving her in a cell? All we know for certain is that she's still alive. That's a good thing. Although if she's getting tortured, it might be better if she was dead. That way, she wouldn't be suffering anymore pain.

But that's not how the Mogadorians work. They like to inflict pain and suffering on their enemies. It's what they're good at. It's the only thing they're good at.

Six looks at me and her expression turns sympathetic. "Don't blame yourself, Eight," she says. "It wasn't your fault. You couldn't remember her. We understand."

"But it _is _my fault," I say. "I got angry and dropped her. If I hadn't done that, she'd still be here."

"I was initially furious with you at first," Six says. "But now, thinking from your point of view, I really can't blame you. I mean, think about it. You can't really blame a guy with no memory for getting angry at a girl who is constantly trying to get him to remember her, can you?"

"So you're blaming Marina, are you?" I ask, anger starting to boil up inside me. "You're saying it's her fault I dropped her off a cliff?"

"I'm not blaming anyone," Six says patiently.

I open my mouth to speak, but Nine interrupts me. "Once you guys are done with your nice little chat, we have a friend to save in Washington."

**Hope you guys/girls like it and please review.**


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